Tom Skeyhill
by George J. Dance Thomas John Skeyhill (10 January 1895 - 22 May 1932) was an Australian poet and a soldier in World War I.Gerald A. Moloney, 'Skeyhill, Thomas John (1895–1932)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Web, Feb. 5, 2013. Life Skeyhill was born at Terang, Victoria, the son of Annie (Donnelly) and James Percy Skeyhill. He was educated at St. Mary's Convent School, Hamilton. At 14 he became a telegraph operator. Skeyhill was a regimental signaller for the second (Victorian) Infantry Brigade of the Australian armed forces. After training in Egypt, he took part in the invasion of Turkey at Gallipoli, where he was blinded during the advance on Cape Helles.Selected Poetry of Tom Skeyhill (fl. 1915), Representative Poetry Online, University of Toronto, UToronto.ca, Web, Dec. 17, 2011. He was invalided back to Australia in October 1915. That November, still a soldier, he appeared in a recital at the Tivoli Theatre in Melbourne, in uniform and full Gallipoli kit and reciting his poetry. December saw the printing of his poetry collection, Soldier Songs from Anzac, which sold 20,000 copies in four months. For two years he toured Australia, lecturing and reciting as "the blind soldier poet", raising funds for the Red Cross and taking part in recruiting efforts. He was discharged on 28 September 1916. In December 1917 Skeyhill travelled to the United States where he undertook a lecture tour. The Australian Dictionary of Biography tells us: "He became a sensation — at Carnegie Hall, New York, Theodore Roosevelt praised him as 'the finest soldier speaker in the world'." He regained his sight after treatment in Washington, D.C., in 1918. In a 2010 book, Anzac Cove to Hollywood, Jeff Brownrigg argues that Skeyhill (whom he calls a "master of deception") faked blindness to avoid combat.Anzac Cove to Hollywood : the story of Tom Skeyhill, master of deception, State Library of South Australia, Government of South Australia. Web, Feb. 5, 2013. Skeyhill remained in the United States, where he wrote a number of plays, including the hit The Unknown, and a biography of Sergeant York which was filmed in 1941. He died in an air accident in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Recognition Skeyhill received an honorary degree from Ohio University in 1926. Publications Poetry * Soldier-Songs From ANZAC: Written in the firing line. Melbourne: George Robertson, 1915; London: T.F. Unwin, 1916. * A Singing Soldier. New York: Knickerbocker Press, 1919. Juvenile *''Sgt. York: Last of the long hunters''. St. John, IN: Larry Harrison, 1930; Philadelphia: John C. Winston, 1930. Edited * [http://archive.org/details/hisownlifestorya013634mbp ''Sergeant York: His own life story and war diary. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran, 1928.'' Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Tom Skeyhill, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Feb. 21, 2015. See also * List of Australian poets References External links ;Poems *Tom Skeyhill at AllPoetry (3 poems) * Selected Poetry of Tom Skeyhill (fl. 1915) (5 poems) at Representative Poetry Online. ;About *Skeyhill, Thomas John (1895-1932) in the Australian Dictionary of Biography. Category:20th-century poets Category:Australian poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Blind poets Category:War poets